This invention relates generally to securing devices, and more particularly to a device to secure shoelaces on footwear.
Shoes, sneakers and other footwear which utilize a lace to securely fasten the footwear on the foot of the wearer are well known. While the use of a shoelace facilitates putting a piece of footwear on and taking it off, the shoelace has the inherent problem of loosening or otherwise unfastening. This is particularly true of shoelaces having circular or oval cross-sections. The unfastening, which occurs through normal use of the footwear, creates a safety hazard because the wearer might trip by unknowingly stepping on the unfastened lace. The safety hazard is particular acute for young children, the elderly, and athletes.
One known, age old manner of dealing with this inherent problem is to tie the lace in one or more knots after the lace has been fashioned into a bow. The more securely the lace is knotted, however, the more difficult it is to untie when the wearer desires to remove the piece of footwear. Moreover, little children often lack the strength to securely fasten the lace into a knot.
Prior art devices have been devised in an attempt to prevent the bowed shoelace from untying. Once type of known prior art device includes special structure built into the piece of footwear itself. For example, an elastic band has been fixedly attached to the piece of footwear such that the elastic can be drawn over the bowed lace.
Other known prior art devices include structure having eyelets by which the device is laced onto the shoe. One such known device includes a hinged box in which the bowed shoelace is enclosed. Another such known device includes hook and loop elements disposed on a single face of a flexible strap designed to fold over the bowed lace.
The known prior art devices cannot readily be used, or readily transferred from one piece of footwear to another, by persons having low dexterity and coordination skills. Such persons include young children, and elderly persons suffering from joint diseases such as arthritis--the very people who have the greatest risk of injury occasioned by untied shoelaces.
Thus, there is a need for a knot latched device which can be readily used, even by persons having low dexterity and coordination skills.